Courage Under Fire

Courage Under Fire (1996)

Director: Edward Zwick

Writer: Patrick Sheane Duncan

Cast: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Matt Damon, Bronson Pinchot, Seth Gilliam, Regina Taylor, Zeljko Ivanek, Scott Glenn, Sean Astin

Synopsis: 

Lt. Col. Nat Serling (Washington) is called on by the army to investigate Capt. Karen Walden (Ryan), a helicopter pilot who was KIA during the opening days of Desert Storm. Serling is tasked with determining whether Walden's actions prior to her death merit consideration for the Medal of Honor. Since Walden would represent the first female recipient of the MOH, Serling is facing pressure from his commanding officer General Hershberg (Moriarty), to rubber-stamp the approval. Still, Serling uncovers inconsistencies in the testimonies of Walden's surviving crew members that warrant further investigation. To make matters worse, Serling struggles with alcoholism brought on by his own traumatic experiences in the war and is constantly being hounded by Gartner (Glenn), a Washington Post reporter who smells a cover-up. 

First Impressions:

I missed this one in theaters but caught it on home video months later. I don't recall any strong feelings towards the film upon first viewing. In fact, this review will be the first time I've seen the movie since the late 90s. While I remember snippets of the film, I don't really remember much of the actual plot, so I'm going into this review somewhat fresh. Enough of the preamble; let's get into the review.

Story/Direction: 

"It's not the doing shit that gets to you. It's the consequences. Imagine a life without consequences."

As I mentioned above, I went into this viewing without any expectations as I don't really remember much of the film from the first time I watched it back in 96. However, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The movie uses a number of different perspectives to tell Walden's story, not unlike the classic film Rashomon or the more recent The Last Duel. I really like this storytelling style, and it's not used that much in this day and age (not that it was used much back in the day either). The differing stories told by Walden's crew make it difficult for Serling to assess what really happened, and it keeps the audience guessing until the last minute. Of course, the best outcome for a story told in this way is to have each perspective contain a grain of truth, but this film doesn't really go that route, and director Ed Zwick goes for the more hopeful ending.

Speaking of Zwick, I'd have to say that he's kind of a dark horse director for me. I don't actively seek out his films like I would with some of my favorites, such as Ridley Scott or Michael Mann, but I don't think I've ever disliked a Zwick movie, and that's saying something. Regardless of the subject matter his films cover, there's an air of sincerity and, dare I say, hope in Zwick's films. It's a style of storytelling that fits in more with a bygone era of Hollywood and is very rare in today's industry. I think that's why I like most of Zwick's films because, even though all hell may be breaking loose, they still try to focus on the best humanity has to offer, and that's something we could use more of nowadays. 

As for the actual story, I enjoyed how Zwick intertwines Serling's investigation with his own guilt over what he did during the war. It's another excellent example of how many soldiers continue to fight battles even after the peace treaties have been signed. It's an important topic that I wish more films would explore because it highlights how much we ask these men and women to sacrifice and how much they can never get back. My only real complaint was that the film really focused on Serling's internal struggle and somewhat skipped over its impact on his family. There are remnants of such a plot point left in the film, but I suspect most of it was cut for time. 

Acting/Characters:

Let's get this out of the way right off the top; Denzel Washington has to be considered one of the best actors of his generation, and I think his performance as Nat Serling was one of his more underrated turns. Serling starts out as a seemingly calm and collected officer, but as the film progresses, he becomes more on edge and shuffles closer and closer to his breaking point. He struggles with his actions as a tank commander during Desert Storm. While in the eyes of the army, he was justified, he still feels enormous guilt, and it impacts his ability to do his job effectively, especially when he starts to see potential parallels between Walden's story and his own. The thing I like about Denzel is that he can show inner turmoil so well without resorting to a hamfest. Great performance.

I also should give props to Meg Ryan for her performance as Capt. Walden. This was a massive departure for Ryan because, at the time, she was known mainly for Rom Coms with Tom Hanks. But I have to say that Ryan really surprised me with her performance not only because it was playing against type for her but because she also had to portray different characters depending on who was telling the story, and that's a tall task for any actor. So while her accent was a little Yosemite Sam-y, it was still a laudable performance. 

The rest of the cast is superb, with notables such as Lou Diamond Phillips (a personal favorite) as the on-edge Sgt. Monfriez; Michael Moriarty as the fierce General Hershberg and an early appearance from Matt Damon as the tweaked out Specialist Illario. Zwick has a knack for casting his supporting players well, and it shows here. 

Visuals/Action:

The visual effects are much like in any movie depicting war. Explosions, gunfire, and the lot. There wasn't a ton of action in the film, but what was there was done well. This includes a great opening scene involving a nighttime tank assault and the fight to defend Walden's downed Huey. The action is never played for kicks which I like because war isn't something that should be made out to look cool. 

Score/Soundtrack:

The music for the film was composed by James Horner, and while I usually enjoy his work, I don't really find the music in Courage Under Fire to be all that memorable. As with many military-themed movies, there's liberal use of bugles and snare drums, but I didn't find any of the music stuck with me. But, as I am prone to do, I don't count this as a negative because an unmemorable score is preferable to an awful one.

Final Impressions:

I really liked this film. It's a solid outing from a solid cast and an underrated director. Check it out if military movies are your jam or if, like me, you just think Denzel is awesome.